The Flack

This weblog attempts to shine a brighter light on the subtle role public relations plays in politics, culture, media, business and sports. Through greater transparency, the author hopes to make the profession better understood and perhaps more widely appreciated.


Ken Tomlinson’s resignation from the Board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (the CPB), overseer of PBS and NPR, was announced this evening. It comes in advance of the imminent release of an investigation by the Inspector General into Mr. Tomlinson’s alleged partisan practices while heading the CPB. (He’s the guy who hired some like-minded friends to ferret out the supposed liberal bias on PBS.)

Of interest to me was Mr. Tomlinson’s condemnation of the report prior to its release. Apparently, it’s going to be somewhat damaging to his reputation, so he reasoned that by flagging his distaste for the findings, he might just neutralize the deleterious impact it will have. Geesh. If anything, by citing the report as part of the news of his resignation, he has only succeeded in whetting the media’s appetite for schadenfreude.

Of additional interest to me, from a PR perspective, is the attention Mr. Tomlinson’s successor, a former Republican National Committee co-chair, received when she filled her first three “senior staff positions.” Their titles: VP of Government Affairs, VP of Communications and Senior Director of Corporate Communications, respectively. Three PR people. Republicans all. No bias there.

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CPB RIP

Posted by Peter Himler on 10th June 2005

Example

I know this headline may be too doom and gloom for many of you weaned on Big Bird and friends, but the news today that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s budget may be cut from $400 to $300 million will no doubt have PBS supporters up in arms. “Sesame Street” and other PBS children’s programs are directly affected. Is it a partisan effort to ferret out (sorry, Elmo) what many believe to be a “liberal” bias in PBS programming? With not one, but two ombudsman identified to assess this, we’ll find out — hopefully in less time than it took the Justice Dept. to deduce that the FBI screwed up in its pre-9/11 duties to protect our country. But I digress.

Back to Elmo. I can’t exactly tell you what behind-the-scenes maneuvering will take place to restore the anticipated loss in funding. Suffice to say, however, the lobbying on the Hill has already started.

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